The Couple in the Car
by freddykre
Summary: A couple is found burnt to a crisp in the middle of the forest. Angela is beginning to think she's becoming a squint, and an apprentice is just what she needs. Zack meets someone from his past. Trying to stay BonesEpisodeLike, Rated T for Language O.o
1. Chapter 1

**I'm not very good at the medical stuff. If it doesn't sound very convincing, it's because it's not. But hey, I tried. **

CHAPTER 1

"What do we got?" Agent Seeley Booth asked as he walked into the crime scene with Drs. Brennan and Addy close in tow.

A local police officer, Officer Davis, led them through a maze of debris, smoke, and trees. "A couple of joggers saw smoke. When they got closer they found this." The quartet finally found themselves staring at a car burnt black. "We found two bodies in there, in the same state as the car. It's amazing a forest fire wasn't started the way this fire was going."

"Is there a road leading out here?" Dr. Brennan asked as she began to examine the bodies.

Officer Davis shook his head. "That's the weird thing about this. There are just foot trails."

"Zack, look at the way these plants are placed. The burnt ones surrounding the car are all directed towards it, like they were growing over it. I think this car has been here for a long time."

"The evidence does look like it points that way, Dr. Brennan," Zack said taking a few snapshots. "Though, I think we should look at the evidence more before we assume that's what happened." Booth smirked as Brennan nodded in agreement.

Brennan began to examine the bodies, which were stuck together in one final embrace. "This one's a female, African-American, late teens to early twenties. The other one," she said with a grunt, prying the girl off of the second skeleton, "is a male, Caucasian, late teens to early twenties again."

"Hate crime," Booth said, tossing a die into the air, and snatching it effortlessly as it fell. "Let's get these bodies back to the lab, find out who did it."

"Look at the girl," Brennan said. "She's not holding this guy at all. And she's not in a position to suggest she was struggling. She was unconscious."

"Could it possibly have something to do with the smoke she was engulfed in?" Booth asked sardonically.

Brennan shook her head as if he was actually asking. "No, the flames were too hot to give either of them time to pass out. They were both killed rather quickly. He wasn't unconscious, either."

"Great, we can find out why, _back at the lab_."

"Wait, look at this," Zack said. Booth groaned. "Burnt flesh on the door handle suggests that someone opened the car door _after_ it was set on fire."

"Someone got out," Booth said. "How about we go find out who?"

"No," Zack said.

"What now," Booth asked angrily.

"The skin is on the _outside_ of the car, meaning someone came _in_, not out."

"Ok, great, can we go?"

"Why do you want to leave so badly?" Brennan asked. "You love bossing people around at crime scenes."

"I have to go pick up Parker from school. I _get_ to pick up Parker from school. I don't want to be late."

"You can go. It's nothing we can't handle."

"I can go? I don't think so. Together, the two of you have the social skills of a rabid raccoon. I'm not going _anywhere_."

"Okay, then give us time for a thorough look at the scene."

Booth stood still for a second. "I'm leaving. Tell me if you get anything." He began to leave, but turned back. "By anything, I mean anything important to me, not a depression of the left lower oblongata, or _whatever_."

"That doesn't even mean anything," Zack said furrowing his eyebrows.

"_Exactly_," Booth shouted as he walked away.

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Dr. Brennan, I found something." Zack was bent over the body of the girl, while Brennan was examining the male. "The girl wasn't only unconscious. She was dead. For a while, too, maybe three weeks."

"Well the male was definitely burnt alive. Good work Zack."

"The car," Jack Hodgins said, appearing suddenly in the room, "was reported missing 7 years ago by one Dennis Hoffman."

"And I've IDd the girl. Jennifer Williams, a high school student at St. Albans. She went missing three years ago. Her parents, apparently loaded, are offering a $50,000 reward to whoever finds her." Hodgins' eyes lit up. "Like you need the money. Besides, I think this isn't the condition they wanted her in." Angela went quiet.

"Thanks, Angela," Brennan said softly.

Angela nodded. "I'll work on the guy now." She walked out of the room, followed by Jack, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders when he caught up.

Booth walked in, surprised by the sudden dreariness of the room. "Hey, what's going on?"

"We have names. Do you want to go check them out?"

"Sure…" Booth said, wondering what had happened while he was away.

"Zack, keep trying to find out what happened to the girl."

"Yes, Dr. Brennan."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Angela wiped the tears from her face as she sat with Hodgins in front of her computer. "I've never been so crude about a person before. A young girl for that matter."

"Angela, it happens. When you work here long enough, you learn how to distance yourself from the victims. You make jokes. We all do it."

"But not _me_. You're the slime guy. You don't see what I do. I see the person they were. It's harder for me. No offence."

Hodgins smiled. "It's okay. You're a good person. If you weren't you wouldn't be so concerned about what you said. Not only are you a good person, but also you're great at what you do. We're gonna find who did this, okay?"

Angela nodded. "Okay." She turned back to her computer. "I guess finding who the guy was will help, huh?"

"Probably. But I wouldn't really know, would I? Being the _slime guy_ and all."

Angela smiled, "You better not hold that against me."

"For _years_."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"How's Parker?" Brennan asked as she and Booth drove to the address they were given for the Williams.

"Math is hard, apparently. Other than that…same old, same old. Girls are still punching bags. I'm safe for a while."

Brennan nodded, feeling her attempt at small talk had gone fabulously.

"Hey, what happened while I was gone? The whole room seemed…wrong."

"Angela made a comment about the victim. Something she didn't mean to say, I think."

Booth shrugged. "So, we all do. It's part of the job description."

Brennan shook her head. "Not Angela. Angela does faces, not bones, not bugs. She respects them, and empathizes with them. She's not like us."

"Well that's for sure."

"What I _mean_ is that she can't distance herself from the victims the way we can. She can't even refer to them as victims."

"You know, Bones, you're using a lot of psychology."

She shook her head, "Not psychology, merely stating facts."

"Of course, _facts_." Booth pulled into a long driveway, that led them into a well-hid, but _huge_ estate. There were landscapers watering the lawn and trimming the hedges and a fountain in front of the house sparkled in the sun.

"Well, Angela wasn't wrong about them being loaded…"

"Can we leave those comments to a minimum, we're about to tell these people their daughter was murdered." He parked the car near the house in the circular driveway.

"Not necessarily; Zack hasn't determined the cause of death, it could have been suicide."

"Just let me do the talking, okay? I don't want you offending them."

"_Okay_."

When Booth rang the doorbell, a middle-aged man arrived at the door. His smile was kind and inviting. "May I help you two?"

"I'm a forensic anthropologist—"

Booth put a hand up to stop her. "Bones, please. Mr. Williams?"

"James, please."

"I'm Detective Seeley Booth, this is Doctor Temperance Brennan…I'm afraid we have some bad news about your daughter."

James' face dropped. His eyes didn't leave Booth's face as he called over his shoulder for his wife. "Please, come in." James led them to a living room, where they were couches and chairs were set up in an oval-shape. Brennan and Booth took the chairs.

"What is it, James?" An attractive woman walked into the room, middle-aged as well, with chocolate-colored skin.

"Laura, these detectives have come here to talk about Jenny."

Laura saw her husband's face and knew it wasn't good news. She sat down next to him, and took his hands. "Go on."

Booth sighed. "We found your daughter. In the forest. I'm sorry, but—" The words had barely left him mouth when Mrs. Williams collapsed into her husband's arms, sobbing.

James held his wife, wiping away the tears that fell down his face. "We weren't expecting this. Not at all. She had fallen in love, and her boyfriend left for college. We had hoped that she ran away with him. We didn't know why she wasn't contacting us, but we didn't care. We thought she was happy with him."

"You didn't think of contacting him?" Booth asked.

"We didn't know him. We didn't know where he was going to college; we didn't even know where he lived. She spent all of his time with him, and mentioned him to us a few times. We had no way of contacting him."

Brennan's phone vibrated silently. She looked at the text message she received from Angela.

_We have our guy. Stephen Mansfield. College student._

"We're so sorry for your loss," Brennan said. "This boyfriend…was his name Stephen Mansfield?"

James nodded. "I know his name was Stephen…I'm not sure about his last name though. Why, have you spoken to him? Does he know what happened to Jenny?"

Booth shook his head. "He's dead. He was found with your daughter."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Zack, have you found how Jennifer Williams died?"

Zack shook his head. "I can't figure it out. She has bone deterioration, but not fatal. Also, she has broken bones, probably from being beaten, but nothing that would have killed her. I don't know what it was."

Angela walked in, with Hodgins behind her. "None of the scenarios I put into my magic 8 ball are proving to be correct. I don't know what is was either."

Brennan sighed. "I don't get how bone deterioration like this could occur. There's no sign of any disease, and she was not calcium deficient."

The room was quiet in thought. No one knew what the answer was. "Warsaw, Poland," Zack said breaking the silence.

Everyone stared at Zack with blank expressions, and Booth facetiously exclaimed, "I can't believe we didn't think of that sooner!"

Zack smiled, understanding that no one was following his train of thought. "Marie Curie, _from_ Warsaw, Poland, discovered Radium. Radium would deteriorate the bones, as they are on the skeleton, and eventually kill the victim. She died of radiation poisoning."

Bones shook her head, skeptical. "For death to occur with radiation poisoning, it would have to take years."

Booth countered her argument quickly, supporting Zack, something he rarely did. "Think of how long she was missing for."

Angela, sighed. "This poor girl was held captive for three years. Are you saying they just kept her in a basement, exposing her to radiation?"

Zack chimed in with evidence. "Well, most likely you're right about the basement, as that seems to be the popular MO of torturous psychopaths. However, considering the cracked nature of the bones, it looks as though she was abused too."

Angela scoffed at Zack. "Oh good, because I was concerned that she was _only_ held captive." She looked at her watch. "I have to go. Time to meet my apprentice." She gave Hodgins a devious smile and left the room.

"Apprentice?" Booth asked?

"Another artist like her, who majored in art and minored in biology," Jack said. "Cool, huh?"

X+X+X+X+X+X

Angela searched the crowded restaurant, looking for the girl with the blue blouse. She felt rather like she was going on a blind date, minus the man and the search for a relationship, and plus a current boyfriend. She finally spotted her sitting alone at a small table in a far corner of the room. "Valentine McKenzie?" Angela asked when she got to the table.

Valentine smiled and stood to shake her hand. "Ms. Montenegro." The two sat down.

"Angela, please. I'm only called Ms. Montenegro when I'm in trouble." Valentine made a mental note not to call her that. "So Valentine is an interesting name."

"I was born on Valentines Day…amazingly original, right?" Angela giggled. "You can call me Val, or whatever. Valentine is fine, too, though. Or McKenzie, if you want. My art professor thought that was my first name in college."

"I think I'll stick with Valentine." The waitress came over and took their drink orders, halting the conversation for a moment. Angela rapped her nails on the table, waiting for Valentine to say something. She finally did.

"So, a restaurant is a kind of weird place to meet your new apprentice…or teacher in my case."

"I know," Angela said, relieved to have a new topic of discussion. "I just wanted to point out that working at the Jeffersonian doesn't necessarily mean devoting every moment of your life to science and dead people. We do other things."

"Right. Like meet your apprentice for your job at the Jeffersonian."

Angela nodded, "Okay, so maybe that wasn't my only motivation. Some people at the Jeffersonian are…very job-oriented. They might seem…inhuman at first. They're very smart and _very_ literal. If you ask them to give you a break, they'll either look at you with a blank expression, or find a body with a broken bone, and actually give it to you. They're like that."

Valentine smiled. "Thanks, I think I can handle them. I knew someone just like that back home."

The rest of the dinner went well. Angela was more than relieved to have another human working with her. A 22-year-old human, for that matter. And Valentine was overjoyed to have this job.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, awesome person! Yes, I'm talking to YOU! I must make one teeny request of you: If I get something about the show **_**horribly**_** wrong, please have mercy! Tell me, but have mercy. I have seen only two episodes of season 3…I need to catch up. Also, I realize the first chapter has a **_**complete **_**absence of Cam…I forgot about her. Sorry bats eyelashes I shall make it up. I'll give her a line or two **

CHAPTER 2

"Dr. Brennan, it was most definitely Stephen Mansfield who entered the car after it was set on fire. We were able to determine who the skin came from."

"We?" Cam asked, entering the room. Zack had told her he was going to try and get DNA from the skin he found on the door, but he hadn't said anything about anybody else.

"Hodgins helped."

"Yeah, I hate these burnt bodies," Jack said. "Nothing for me to do. No bugs. No slime. No dirt."

"It seems as though the victim entered the car completely willingly," Zack continued. "He has no defense wounds anywhere on his body, there is no sign of a struggle; his bones are pristine."

"OK," Bones said. "We're most likely looking at a suicide."

"What was Jennifer doing there?" Booth wondered aloud.

"Maybe he killed her," Hodgins said. "And in his immense grief from killing his one true love, he killed himself as well, holding the body of his ex-lover so that they could be together forever."

Zack grimaced. "You're turning into Agent Booth."

Angela's voice echoed into the room as she walked nearer, talking to someone along the way. Cam braced the room. "This is Angela's apprentice, don't scare her away. We could all use a bit of normality in the Jeffersonian."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Zack asked. Before anyone could respond, Angela walked into the room with her apprentice Valentine McKenzie. "Teeny!" Zack set the femur in his hand down, walked down to where the two girls were, and, taking everybody by surprise, hugged Valentine.

"You know him?" Angela asked skeptically.

Booth groaned. "So much for normality."

"Oh my god, Zack, what happened to your _hair_?"

"I cut it," he said sheepishly, "to look more professional."

"Yeah, I guess it worked," she said ruffling his hair.

"Hey, I'm older than you, and therefore I should be the one to show a gesture of superiority."

"Go ahead," Valentine said, holding her hands behind her back expectantly.

Zack patted her on the head, and ruffled her hair only the slightest bit. "You're better at that them me."

"Sorry to break up…whatever this is," Cam said breaking up…whatever had been going on between Valentine and Zack, "but _how_ do you two know each other?"

"We were neighbors." Zack flattened his short hair back to the condition it previously was. "Our parents still are…we just no longer live with them."

"And 'Teeny…'" Angela smirked. "That definitely wasn't one of the names you gave me."

Valentine blushed. "Well, I don't exactly _love_ the name. All of my 'family friends' call me that because, well, I'm teeny compared to my six older brothers. I got the name as a baby. I was 6 pounds when I was born, and my _smallest_ brother was 8 pounds." All of the women in the room grimaced.

Angela got everybody back on track. "Well, I think a formal introduction is still called for; everybody, this is Valentine McKenzie. Valentine, this is Dr. Saroyan, Dr. Brennan, Dr. Hodgins, Agent Booth, and…well you know Zack." She turned to Brennan. "What are we in the middle of?"

"We need to compile more evidence, Hodgins is starting to theorize."

Angela grimaced. "Yikes." She smirked at Jack's open mouth. "If you don't need me, I'm going to show Valentine my magic 8 ball."

Hodgins chuckled, "That sounded dirty." Zack furrowed his eyebrows, trying to find any sexual connotations that could be attributed with the sentence. He was not surprised when he failed to do so.

"We're going to go talk to Dennis Hoffman," Bones said, gesturing to Booth over her shoulder.

Zack nodded. "I'm going to…look at the bones more."

"You can come with us, Zack." Valentine glanced at Angela to make sure it was okay.

"That's fine. I've been told that 'girl time' is essential in every new relationship, even a work-related one."

"Right," Hodgins said, smirking. "I'm just gonna help Zack."

"Great." Cam smiled at the group in front of her. "I'm going to take a hot bath."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"So that's _weird_ that you know Zack."

"Yeah I guess." Valentine was mesmerized by the holograms, and that was the best response Angela was going to get out of her.

"So…how well do you two know each other? I mean, you were neighbors…but were you like—"

The machine turned off and Valentine snapped out of her trance. "Are you and Hodgins together? You just seemed…together, I guess."

Angela smiled; Valentine had either been too entranced to hear the question, or she heard it and avoided it. She would get more out of her. "Yeah. We're actually engaged. Why, do you think he's cute…or anyone else?"

"Not really—no offence, or anything."

"None taken." Angela gave up. "Have you and Zack ever dated?"

"That was rather forward."

"I tried to hint the question before, you weren't picking up on _anything_."

Valentine blushed. "Sorry about that. I suppose I'm a bit like Zack in that way—but no, we never dated."

"Why not?" Angela asked. "You two seem to really get along."

Valentine laughed. "Several reasons, actually. I was 13 when he graduated from college—mind you, he graduated at a very young age. We spent almost every moment of our childhood together, so he may as well be my seventh brother. And finally, I haven't spoken to him in years. The last time I did speak to him, boys were still icky. You can see the tragic flaw in our Shakespeare sonnet."

Angela sighed. "Yeah, I guess. But at least you didn't end up Romeo and Juliet."

Valentine giggled. "I've never found the romance in referring to them. Matt Stetson asked me to prom, saying I was his Juliet. All I could think of was poison and daggers…and poor Tybalt."

"I'm guessing you didn't accept."

"No, I did. I just left as soon as I noticed it was Shakespeare themed. That was just because of his lack of creativity. I only went because I thought he was being original."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Dennis Hoffman's house was nothing remarkable. Sure, it was a house, you could give his that much, but the whole thing was rather drab. The walls were all painted off-white, and some rooms had as little as a chair in it. It was obvious the house was too big for his own good. So he wasn't very surprised when the first words Agent Booth spoke to him were "Did you inherit this house."

Dennis smiled sheepishly and led them into one of the fuller rooms in the house. There were three old chairs place awkwardly in a circle in the center of the room, and tons of space around and between them. The chairs had faded designs, and fluff escaping various tears. When Booth sat down, he felt a spring poking him uncomfortably in the butt. He decided against saying anything. "Can I get you anything?" Dennis asked the two before he sat down. They declined, and he took his seat in the most beat up-looking chair there was. "To answer your question, yes I inherited this house. I lived with my mother for years—she was sick. When she passed, the house was to be split between my two sisters and I, but they already had careers and husbands and houses, so they said I could keep it."

"We're very sorry for your loss," Brennan said.

Dennis nodded thankfully, and Booth continued. "Mr. Hoffman, you reported your vehicle missing seven years ago."

Dennis smirked. "My mother had me do it. I had no idea what car she was talking about, but she was insistent that someone stole it. So, I filed a report, but I told her that the car was probably long gone. She was convinced it would show up."

"Well, she was right."

Dennis looked at Booth in disbelief. "You actually _found_ her car? God, if she were here to see this…"

"It's actually what we found _inside _the car that's so interesting."

Dennis smiled. "Well, what'd you find? Money? Tickets to Paris?" He laughed, "My father?" Booth gave Brennan a nod, and she showed him the picture of Jennifer Williams and Stephen Mansfield burnt to a crisp in his mother's car. Dennis leaned in to see the picture, then jumped back, nearly tripping over the chair. "What the hell is that?"

"That," Brennan said pointing to Jennifer," is Jennifer Williams, that," she pointed to Stephen, "is Stephen Mansfield, and _that_," she pointed at the burnt metal surrounding them, "is your mother's car."

Booth stood up. "What we need to know is how it got there."

"I have no fucking clue, I swear." Dennis swallowed. "Those are actually _people_?"

"Well, they were," Bones said. "Now they're just bones…and teeth."

"Bones, please." Booth turned to Dennis. "You said it was maybe your father in the car."

Dennis shrugged, still frantic. "I was just joking. I hardly ever knew my father, he left when I was five years old."

"How old are you now?" Brennan asked, mainly to see how close her guess was.

"Twenty-six," he said, calming down a bit.

"Two years off," Bones said under her breath.

Booth motioned for Brennan with his hand. "We're gonna have to bring you in for questioning."

"But I don't know anything," he said.

"Then you'll be outta there quickly," Booth said. "Come on; do you really have anything better to do?" Dennis sighed, and followed them out to the SUV.

X+X+X+X+X+X

"That's weird that you know a girl," Hodgins said as he and Zack looked the bones over closely.

Zack didn't look up from Stephen Mansfield. "Not really. I know a lot of girls—women."

"You just happen to work with all of them." Hodgins chuckled. "But you actually _know_ her. And she doesn't seem to be weirded out by you. And she's kinda cute."

"Enough to risk your relationship with Angela?" Zack asked, again not looking up from the bones.

"No! Dude, I'm talking about for you. She's cute for _you_."

"Even though I hate similes, and they're usually completely lost on me, it seems to be the only proper way to describe this situation, therefore _she's like a sister to me_." He exhaled loudly. "That was difficult."

Hodgins only shook his head in amazement.

**Yay, chapter two. Hey, has anyone seen Saw 3 or 4? Because I know there is a detective played by Costas Mandylor called Agent Hoffman…but does anyone know if Dennis is his first name? Because that name sounds too familiar to me to just be a crappy character…**


	3. Chapter 3

**I figured it out. Dennis Hoffman sounds a lot like Dustin Hoffman (thanks Karma22!). But don't think of Dustin when you read about Dennis—they're nothing alike, NOTHING I TELL YOU! The thing is, though, now Stephen Mansfield sounds familiar…**_**help**_**. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS, EVERYONE!**

CHAPTER 3

"I'm telling you, I don't know any of these people." Dennis had his head in his hands. Dennis lived alone, left work at 5:00, and therefore didn't have an alibi. Booth was working on getting a warrant to search his house while he questioned him.

"Mr. Hoffman, you're only 26 years old. Your mother couldn't have been very old when she died, yet you were talking about her as if she was senile."

Dennis shook his head. "She wasn't senile. She had cancer; something about her medication made her a little loopy."

"Cancer medication doesn't cause delusions," Brennan said.

"Well I don't know what the fuck it was! All I know is that she got cancer, it kept coming back, and her brain kept getting worse."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Where are Brennan and Booth?" Angela asked when she and Valentine found Jack and Zack.

"I think they're still with Dennis Hoffman," said Hodgins. "Why, what do got?"

Angela slapped a file down on the table in front of Hodgins and Zack. "Stephen's parents. It took me forever to find them, they're totally off the map. They don't own a phone, they live in an apartment paid for with cash. They don't own a car, they're not registered _anywhere_. But, I'm just that good."

"Yeah you are," Hodgins said, pulling Angela into his lap and kissing her.

Valentine raised her eyebrows, to which Zack responded, "They do this all the time, but usually when they think no one is looking.

Angela pulled away. "_Think_ no one is looking?"

Zack shrugged. "It seems illogical to assume no one is going to see you—what was the term I heard—_mack_ in the middle of the office."

Hodgins thought for a moment. "I don't think you're using that word right."

Valentine interjected, "I think it's right in Australia." She received looks all around the room. "They're people too!"

"Getting back to the details," Angela said, "No one has reported Stephen Mansfield missing. I think Booth and Brennan need to talk to them. I've got their address."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Geoffrey and Lindsay Mansfield, got it." Brennan hung up her cell phone. They searched his house completely and found nothing. They found that the whole house didn't seem like a retirement home, and Dennis' room went as far as having a TV. They also found out Dennis was a cop. Nothing high up, just an officer, but Booth's suspicion of him left when he found out. If he really had killed two people, he would have thrown the fact that he was a cop in their faces to try to get away, or to at least get sympathy. Despite all this, he was still tied to the case, so he was still a suspect. "Do you think these people did it?" Brennan asked.

"I've never even talked to these people, how am I supposed to know?"

"I realize you haven't met them," Brennan said, "but given what Angela said, that they're not listed anywhere, and they haven't reported their son missing, what do you think?"

"It has nothing to do with evidence, why do you even care?"

"I'm making friendly conversation with my partner by asking his opinions on the case. I already know you don't think Dennis Hoffman did it, so there would be no use in asking."

Booth sighed. "I don't know. Maybe they just don't like people knowing where they are."

"What about their son. They never reported him missing."

"Maybe they're not talking."

Brennan looked at Booth. "You don't like to think that anyone could hurt their children, do you?"

"No," Booth said. "I like to think that we live in a world where children are safe, if _only_ with their parents."

Brennan smiled. "You know, your big tough-guy front breaks down more and more every day."

"Yeah, and so does your anti-psychology front."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Mr. and Mrs. Mansfield?" Booth asked at the door of the tiny apartment.

The couple kept the door padlocked, understandable in the neighborhood they were in. "Yes. What do you need?"

Booth held up his badge. "FBI. Can I have a word?"

There was a slight nod from the man, then the door shut and reopened when the padlock was unlocked. He opened the door wide and invited them in to his humble abode. The condition of the house was a lot like that of Dennis Hoffman's house, only the rooms were much smaller and much more crowded. "What do you need, detectives?"

"I'm a forensic anthropologist," Brennan said.

"I'm afraid we have some bad news about your son," Booth said softly.

"About Stephen?" Mrs. Mansfield asked. "Has something happened to him?"

"I'm afraid so," Brennan said. "He was discovered…dead."

Tears slid down Mrs. Mansfield's face, which she wiped away quickly, and Mr. Mansfield's face stayed hard. "Do you need us to identify the body?" Mrs. Mansfield asked.

"That won't be necessary." Booth handed her a picture of Jennifer Williams. "Did you know this girl?"

She glanced at the picture. "Why yes, of course. She was such a good influence on Stephen. She made sure he went to college. He didn't plan on going before—money problems. She studied with Stephen every day to make sure he got a scholarship—even though she knew that meant she wouldn't see him. She was a year behind him in school."

"So you didn't have a problem with them being together?" Booth asked.

"Of course not," Mr. Mansfield said. "She was a complete sweetheart. She was polite, and intelligent. Stephen couldn't have done better."

"You never reported him missing." Brennan said. "It's summer vacation, shouldn't he be back?"

"He was a very social person." Mrs. Mansfield handed her a picture of Stephen surrounded by friends. "He has friends all over. We didn't know when he was going to visit us."

Booth handed them another picture. "Did you or your son ever know Dennis Hoffman?"

Mr. Mansfield took the picture this time. "Not him…his father though. God, they look alike."

"How did you know Mr. Hoffman?" Brennan asked.

"We taught together," Mr. Mansfield said. "At St. Albans Academy."

Brennan looked at Booth. "Mrs. Mansfield, you said that Jennifer was a year behind your son; did they go to the same school?"

"Heavens, no. Jennifer went to a private school. We couldn't afford it, so we sent Stephen to a public school. Come to think of it, I don't know how they met. Probably though friends."

X+X+X+X+X+X

It was getting late, and with nothing else to do, the squints began to leave. "Hey Zack, want to have breakfast with me tomorrow?" Valentine poked Zack with her elbow. "You can meet my boyfriend."

Angela stopped her. "Wait, you have a _boyfriend_? Why didn't you mention this when we were discussing why you and Zack never dated?"

"You _discussed_ why Teeny and I never dated?" Zack asked.

"Well yeah, what else were we gonna do, discuss work?" She turned back to Valentine. "So?"

"You asked why we never dat_ed_. I figured the hour before hadn't counted." She turned to Zack. "So Zack, it that a yes to our breakfast?"

"I didn't even say anything about it."

"Yes, well I assumed the answer could only be 'yes.'"

X+X+X+X+X+X

"We're stuck," Dr. Brennan said. "We need more evidence."

Just then, as if listening from rooms away, Angela appeared. "I've calculated the amounts of radiation Jennifer would had to have been exposed to. She wouldn't have been exposed directly to the source. It was probably an object that became radioactive after it was exposed. She was probably held in a close proximity to it."

"Can you narrow it down?" Booth asked, thinking of all of the things it could be.

"Probably."

As Angela began to walk away, she stopped, hearing Zack and Valentine's voices coming nearer. "He's not…smart," Zack said.

"He's smart, he's just not _you._"

"He didn't know what deoxyribonucleic acid is."

"Why were you even talking about that?"

Zack ignored Valentine's question. "I knew what that was in 5th grade. So did you."

They walked into the room, but didn't seem to notice the people around them. "Okay, _normal_ people learn it every few years in chemistry, and then they _forget_ it." Zack rolled his eyes. "They don't care, because they're going to grow up to be lawyers, or bankers, or cops—"

"Oh god, he's a cop, I forgot."

"He's good at it!"

Booth shot in, "What's so bad about being a cop?"

"We're not talking about your kind of cop," Zack said. "We're talking about the kind that sit around and eat doughnuts all day—the kind we threw snowballs at in Michigan."

Valentine glared at Zack. "Dennis does not sit around eating doughnuts all day—he got shot at once!"

"I got blown up!"

"Quit comparing him to you. How much can you bench-press? Dennis can bench-press—"

Booth held his hands up to stop the annoying argument. "Wait, wait, wait, are you talking about Dennis _Hoffman_?"

Valentine shrugged. "Yeah, do you know him?"

Booth groaned. "Yeah, I do. He's a suspect in our murder investigation."

Zack grimaced. "Ohh, you're in _trouble_."

**Yay, chapter three is FINI! And you know what? Now Dennis Hoffman reminds me of Dennis Rodman…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Mama Pajama has it been a long time! Long long long long long time. I'm sorry. I hate school. I'll make it up to everyone…somehow.**

**I forgot a disclaimer. I don't own Zack (sadly), or Angela, Hodgins, Booth, Brennan, or Cam, but I DO own The Mansfields, The Williams, The Hoffmans, and Teeny :D**

**Okay, so I'm doing a flashback in this scene…not way far back or anything, I just decided to do it this way. If it's awkward and dumb…sorry. Oh, and this chapter's probably gonna be pretty **_**long**_** (sorry about that), but I have something I MUST put in this chapter wink wink but I don't want to put aside the case. So…yeah.**

CHAPTER 4

"That's too bad about Valentine," Hodgins said, as he, Zack, and Angela waited for Valentine, Booth, and Brennan to emerge from Brennan's office.

"What's too bad about Valentine?" Zack asked.

"The fact that she has a boyfriend. That sucks, man."

"Why does that suck? Relationships are a vital part of anyone's life."

Hodgins rolled his eyes. "Because she's a girl who will be around you without being forced. We went over this."

"We also went over the fact that she—I'm bad at similes."

Angela furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"

"She's like a sister to him," Hodgins explained.

"Aww, Zack you used a simile!"

Just then, the door to Brennan's office opened, and the three came out. Valentine hung her head as she walked out behind Brennan and Booth, but when she look up at Zack, she smirked, raising her eyebrows.

Booth turned around towards Valentine. "If he asks you _anything_ about the case, either change the subject or…I don't know, avoid answering by_ any means necessary_."

Valentine nodded. "Yeah."

"Let's go, Bones," Booth said walking away.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"St. Albans."

When Brennan and Booth were out of earshot, Angela began interrogating Valentine. "So what happened? Did Booth yell at you? Sometimes, when he gets angry, his biceps…" she trailed off. "Not that they're anything compared to yours, Hodgins." She flashed a smile at Valentine. "So?"

"No, he didn't yell. He was very…understanding. So was Dr. Brennan."

Angela laughed. "Well she should be, considering her dating history." All eyes shot to her. "I just mean…she's had some pretty lame boyfriends."

"Sure you do," Hodgins said.

"Come on, Valentine, let's go find out what we can about your boyfriend's dad."

"Why?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Because he worked at the school Jennifer Williams went to, and he's been missing for years."

Valentine nodded. "Right."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Is there any way we can _make_ her break up with him?"

Brennan shrugged. "I don't see why we have to. She said she's not going to say anything."

"Yes, but if Dennis _is_ the killer, she'll be completely vulnerable."

"So, we'll keep surveillance on her. If she really likes the guy, we shouldn't ruin her relationship just because his mother's car showed up at the scene."

Booth shook his head. "You are unbelievable."

_**flashback to interview**_

_Valentine sat down awkwardly. "So…is this an interrogation, or something?"_

_Booth smiled. "No, not quite. We just need to know more about your relationship with this guy."_

"_So, how's the sex?" Brennan asked._

_Valentine blushed. "Um, _what_?"_

"_Bones is very forward," Booth said._

"_Is that why he calls you _bones_? Is it like some double-entendre?" Valentine asked giggling. _

_Brennan laughed, "No. I just believe sex is a vital part of every relationship," she explained. "So how is it?"_

_Valentine laughed awkwardly. "Uh…really good, actually. He works out a lot, but is stuck doing paperwork most days, so…he has a lot of energy at the end of the day."_

_Booth groaned, "I don't want to hear this."_

"_Have you talked to him about the case?" Brennan asked, mostly for Booth's sake._

"_No, not at all. We just started dating. He doesn't even know I'm doing this internship thing."_

_  
__**flashback ends**_

X+X+X+X+X+X

St. Albans was a giant school. It wasn't extremely populated, but the building was huge. Giant stone columns stood on either side of wooden doors. Only girls populated the grounds, all of which pointed and giggled when Booth walked past. "This is weird," Booth whispered to Brennan.

"Cut them some slack. The only men they see are probably all 50 and bald."

Booth groaned. "Not that…I'm used to that." Brennan stifled laughter. "The fact that these girls are here at all…it's summer."

Booth walked up to a group of girls. "Can you tell me why you're here?"

One of the girls giggled and flipped her hair. "We're not supposed to talk to strangers."

Booth held up his badge. "FBI, start talking."

"Excuse me," someone said walking towards them, "but may I ask why you are harassing my students?"

Booth flashed his badge once again. "FBI, I'm Agent Booth, this is Dr. Brennan." Brennan nodded a meek hello.

"I'm Martin Peterson, the principal of this school."

"Is it normal for students to stay in school over summer vacation?" Booth asked.

Martin smiled. "We inform our students at the end of every year of the project for which they will be responsible next year. Some students choose to get a head start, and our facilities are some of the best in the world."

"How long have you been the principal here?" Brennan asked.

"I've been the principal only 10 years, but I've worked here for over 30 years."

"We're going to need to talk to you in private," Booth said.

"Very well," he said. "I'll show you to my office."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Whoa, Angela, check this out." Angela and Valentine were sitting at separate computers, doing what they could to find any information on Robert Hoffman, Dennis' father. Valentine turned her monitor towards Angela to show her what she found. On the screen was a news article about the disappearance of Robert Hoffman and his student Amelia Jenson, their last appearances on the same day. "Apparently," Valentine said, "Some people in the school suspected the two of having a relationship. He was a little _too_ friendly with her in class, if you know what I mean."

"Good find Teeny."

Valentine groaned. "I thought I had been spared from everyone calling me that when I left Michigan."

"What would you rather me call you? Grasshopper? Leggy Blonde?" Angela raised her eyebrows. "Mrs. Addy?"

Valentine's jaw dropped melodramatically. "Valentine will suffice, thank you."

Angela laughed. "I had to do it, I'm sorry."

"Oh, you will be sorry. I don't know how yet…but you will."

"I'll be waiting," Angela said turning back to her computer. "What do you and Dennis talk about?" she asked suddenly.

Valentine sighed, "I haven't said anything about the case, I swear, we talk about movies and dumb friends—"

"No, no, I'm not interrogating you, or anything. I'm just wondering…because your relationship is so…new."

Valentine shrugged. "We don't really talk about much. We haven't gotten that serious, really. We talk about what we want to eat; what movies we should see. We really don't talk about much. I think at this point the relationship is more on a…physical level." She furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you having problems with Hodgins?"

"No," Angela said. "It's just all we ever talk about anymore is my husband…"

"Sorry—your what?"

Angela waved her hand like it was nothing. "I got married in Fiji four years ago."

"Oh…of course."

"I just feel like our whole life has become me trying to divorce him…my husband, not Hodgins."

"Take him out," Valentine said simply. "Rent a honeymoon suite, make sure the evening is all about you two. If there is any mention of…Fiji, or whatever…I don't know, slap him."

Angela laughed. "Slap him?"

"_I don't know_," Valentine said. "Just make sure he doesn't."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"It was obvious there was more than just a student-teacher relationship with Mr. Hoffman and Ms. Jenson."

"Obvious to who?" Booth asked.

"Well, most everybody. All of the students were talking about it. The teachers knew, too, we just preferred not to say anything about it."

"You preferred not to tell anybody about a potential illegal relationship between a student and a teacher?"

"It was just rumors and speculations."

"You just said it was obvious." Bones said. "Now that we say it's illegal it's just rumors?"

"Perhaps I chose the wrong word earlier," Martin said, busying himself with a piece of non-existent lint on his jacket.

"Well for your own sake," Booth said taking a step towards Martin, "you better start choosing the right words."

"I know about police brutality," Martin said. "You don't scare me, Agent Booth."

Brennan stepped in front of Booth. "I'm not a cop," she said smiling. "The rules don't apply to me."

Martin seemed unfazed until Booth smiled. "She usually goes for the wrist first," he said.

Martin gulped, but didn't say anything. Brennan shrugged and began to walk towards him. Martin put his hands out calmly to stop her, "He was one of the best at this school," he said finally. "He had resources other teachers couldn't dream of. He wasn't showing any decline in his performance, nor was Ms. Jenson. We decided to leave it at that."

"What kind of resources?" Brennan asked.

X+X+X+X+X+X

It was a normal thing to find the staff members of the Jeffersonian at the same diner, so Dennis knew where to look. He felt rather like a stalker, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He took his chance when Valentine went to the bathroom, leaving Angela, Brennan, Hodgins, and Zack at the table. Dennis walked up and stood awkwardly by the table until he got everyone's attention.

"Uh, Zack…can I talk to you?"

Zack looked around the table. Brennan shrugged. "Um…sure."

They walked back to Dennis' table, where Dennis began to speak immediately. "I think Valentine is cheating on me."

Zack paused. "Why are you telling _me_ this?"

"Well, you're her best friend, aren't you?"

"I guess…"

"So, what do you think? Whenever I call her, she says she has to go. I haven't actually seen her in days. She says she doesn't want to break up with me, so I think…"

"I don't think she's cheating on you."

Dennis leaned in. "Really?"

"Well, she could be, I don't know. But that's not why she's avoiding you."

"What it is?"

"I don't think I can tell you." He walked away without another word. Before he couldn't even make it all the way back to his table, the cell phone in his pocket began vibrating.

"Dr. Addy…"

"Zack, it's me," Bones said right away, "I have an update on the case." Zack listened quietly. "Dennis Hoffman's father taught Physics at St. Albans, where he used beryllium and _radium_ for experiments. Booth and I are going back to Dennis Hoffman's house to see if there's anything with a significant amount of radium. Tell everyone else."

"Yes Dr. Brennan." Just as Zack hung up the phone, Valentine came back to the table. Zack repeated what Dr. Brennan had told him to the whole table.

Angela sighed. "I guess it's back to the lab."

Hodgins groaned. "Always."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Only a few minutes after Dennis got home from the diner, there was a knock on his door. He groaned, got up from the chair, which he had _just_ sat down in, and made his way to the door. When he opened the door, he saw Booth and Brennan again, but this time they weren't alone.

"Do you mind if we take another look around?" Booth asked.

"Of course not," Dennis said, "but why are you all wearing hazmat suits?"

"We have to be careful," Booth said.

"Careful of wha—"

"It would probably be safest if you stayed outside."

Dennis looked at the amount of people flooding into his house and assumed it wasn't going to be a short matter. "Can I go somewhere while you look around?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," Booth said.

Dennis groaned. "Can I at least get a book?" Booth took a moment to deliberate before finally deciding it would be okay. Dennis grabbed a book from the coffee table nearest him, and sat outside on his old bench swing. He began reading his book, but after a few minutes he put it back down. "This is Valentine's book, it's all gibberish." He was alone, so he was saying it to himself. He sat back in defeat, and prepared himself for what he knew would be a long night.

X+X+X+X+X+X

Valentine walked aimlessly around the Jeffersonian until she stumbled into a room where Zack was studying what she could only assume was Stephen Mansfield's remains. She knocked lightly when Zack failed to notice her.

Zack glanced up. "Oh hi."

She ignored his cold welcome. "I thought you might like to know that Jennifer Williams wasn't killed in Dennis' house."

Zack didn't even look up. "Why would I want to know that?"

"Because," Valentine said slightly annoyed, "you're working on a case to figure out who killed her."

"Right now I'm only responsible for Stephen Mansfield."

"Fine then," she said, now fully annoyed, "maybe you'd like to know because your best friend's boyfriend hasn't been convicted of murder."

Zack ignored her comment. "Your boyfriend thinks you're cheating on him. He told me at the diner." He looked up at her from his bones. "Are you?"

"Of course not!" She walked around the table to face him. "Did you tell him I was?"

"I told him I didn't know." Valentine glared at him. "But that you have a rational reason to avoid him."

"Yeah, well…" she calmed down, "I'm beginning to think that there's more than one reason for my evasion." She looked up at him from under her eyelashes. Then, surprising even herself, with no reason whatsoever, she kissed him. When she stepped back, Zack's eyes were wide.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

She blushed. "I don't know."

"That wasn't rational."

She glared, once again annoyed. "I know."

Just when it seemed the moment couldn't get any less rational, Zack grabbed Teeny by the waist and kissed her again.

The two broke apart instantly when the door opened, and Dr. Brennan walked in. "Sorry—_Zack_?"

Zack, still holding Valentine around the waist, turned his head to face the door. He blushed. "Hi, Dr. Brennan."

Brennan waved slightly and shut the door. She found Angela in the hall and grabbed her wrist. "Angela!" she whispered. "I just saw Zack _kissing_ Valentine. Like, _really_ kissing."

"Oh my god, are you actually _gossiping_? This must be good."

Brennan smiled. "It is."

Angela pulled her by the arm. "Well let's go see."

"I walked in on them, I think they're done."

"Not if I know anything about office relationships—and I do." Not of any surprise to Angela, when they cracked open the door, Zack and Valentine were at it again. "I told you," Angela whispered to Brennan. They shut the door quietly and walked away.

**How is Zack spelled? Seriously. IMDb says Z-A-C-K, FF says Z-A-C-H, and I really have NO IDEA. I'm going to look back to an episode where his name is WRITTEN! Muaha! Ou, and if anyone picked up on my Flight of the Conchords reference, I WORSHIP YOU. **_**Magically reappears**_**. I have discovered NOTHING of Zack's name. The letter to him said "Zachary Addy" and whatnot, but then the subtitles say "Zack…" so I have no effing clue. I'm just gonna stick with "Zack" because I like that spelling better.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I've written the most confusing story in the world…maybe it's just confusing to me. I have the entire thing planned out, I just can't remember where I am…Also, I wrote the first part of this chapter thinking Valentine's name was Verity…I'm so good.**

CHAPTER 5

"So where do you want to go, tonight?"

It took Valentine a moment to realize that Dennis was talking to her. They were laying on his bed with the fan blowing directly at them, but she was a million miles away. "Oh, I don't know," she said finally. "I could cook something." That would at least give her an excuse to be quiet. She could be "concentrating."

"I'm not exaggerating the slightest when I say I have nothing in my fridge. There's this sushi place I've been wanting to go to. What do you say?"

Valentine groaned. "That's the absolute last thing I'd want to eat."

"Well fine then, where do you wan to go?"

"We could go to the diner," she suggested. Zack would be there.

Dennis sat up and looked at Valentine. "You mean the diner that you've gone to everyday this week? Or is it the diner where you meet you friends who look at me like I'm an idiot?"

"It was just a suggestion," Valentine said defensively. She rolled her eyes and turned on to her side to face away from Dennis.

"What's up with you?" Dennis asked. "You've been acting weird for the last few days. Did I do something?"

Valentine didn't know how much Dennis knew. She didn't know how much Dennis was supposed to know. She sat up. "Nothing's up," she said quietly. Getting up, she grabbed her purse from his computer desk. "I think I'm just gonna stay home tonight."

"Right," Dennis said biting the inside of his cheek. "Call me to let me know you got home safe."

"Yup," she said walking out the door. She was used to his whole safety speech. It's not like she lived in the most unsafe place in the world. Dennis was just concerned because she didn't have a car. He thought the bus stop at night was a dangerous place for her to be. Valentine thought Dennis was being overbearing.

Without thinking, Valentine made her way to the diner. When she got there Zack, Hodgins, and Angela were at their usual booth. Angela was sitting across from Hodgins, not next to him, so Teeny was able to slide in next to her. She smiled in acknowledgement at everyone, and avoided looking Zack in the eyes. They hadn't said anything since their moment in the Jeffersonian.

"So…" she said tentatively. "How go the bones?"

"Stephen Mansfield showed no amount of radiation," Zack said quickly, and quite loudly for the quiet diner.

Hodgins looked at him. "Jeez, Zack, don't have a fit."

"I have to go to the bathroom," Angela said suddenly. Valentine got up to let her out. "Are you coming?"

Valentine looked at her. "Oh…I guess."

Angela smirked. "You really do have six brothers, don't you?" They walked quickly to the shabby bathroom, where Angela leaned against the sink and crossed her arms in anticipation.

"Aren't you going to…do something?" Valentine asked.

"Sure," Angela said. "How about I start by asking you what the hell is up with you and Zack?"

"What are you talking about?" Teeny asked as if she had no idea what Angela was referring to.

"Sweetie, I saw you kiss him."

Valentine's eyes widened. She looked around, as if anyone else would be in the girls bathroom, let alone the diner that cared what she said. "Angela, that was nothing, I swear. But you can't tell anyone."

"Brennan knows, she saw you."

"That's right," she said, suddenly remembering the intrusion. She leaned back on the sink and put her head in her hands. "Oh god, she's bound to tell Booth." She looked back at Angela. "But really, it was nothing. Zack's my friend, but I already have a boyfriend, and I'm really happy with him. A boyfriend I should probably call before he thinks I'm dead."

"Why would he think you were dead?" Angela asked.

"He tends to overreact," Teeny said, digging her phone out of her purse. Angela listened in on the one-sided conversation. "It's me…yeah, I'm with Angela…I'm not giving you an attitude…Okay, I'm gonna hang up before you turn completely into my father, bye."

Angela looked at her knowingly. "Yeah, you sound really happy with your dream guy."

"I am," she insisted. "Can we just go back? I'm hungry."

"Whatever you say, Val."

When they got back to the table Zack and Hodgins were no longer sitting next to each other, but across from each other. Angela sat down next to Hodgins without skipping a beat; Valentine remained standing. "Why…"

Hodgins understood. "Zack was being weird, so I made him move."

"Right," Valentine said, sitting as close to the edge of the booth as possible.

"Oh come on, Valentine, if it was nothing you wouldn't be acting like he was a leper." Hodgins seemed to be the only one who didn't understand Angela's little outburst.

"What did we say, Angela? I believe 'can't tell anyone' was in there somewhere."

"_You_ said that, I didn't agree on anything."

"Need I remind you my boyfriend is a cop?"

"Need I remind _you_ I work with a detective?"

"Need I remind _you_ I have six older brothers?"

Angela took a sip of her drink. "Fine, you win."

"I'm gonna go home," Valentine said suddenly. She dismissed herself and began towards the door.

Angela followed her. "I thought you said you were hungry."

Valentine shrugged. "I'll find something at home. I need…quiet."

Angela glanced at Zack. "Right." She leaned in, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Teeny smiled appreciatively. "Maybe tomorrow. I'm gonna get some sleep."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Remind me where we're going?" Booth had dragged Brennan along on one of his excursions. They had been driving for almost an hour, and Brennan began to doubt that Booth knew where they were.

"We're going to talk to this Jenson girl's parents. The principal said she disappeared the same day Hoffman did."

"I highly doubt her parents know anything. It was a boarding school, they probably didn't know anything about her."

"That's a little harsh, Bones. Just because she was away most the time didn't mean she was a stranger. They had to have lived together for years before that."

Bones came right back with a counter argument. "A teenager's mind develops immensely throughout the high school years. You can't expect her to be the same girl she was when she was little. Do you think Parker will always act like he does now?"

"Now why do you have to do that?"

"What? I'm just making conversation."

"Parker is just fine right now, I don't want even want to think about him as a moody teenager."

"Parker has to grow up sometime."

"Whatever, we're here." Booth pulled into the driveway of a house just as immense is not bigger than that of the Williams' "Let me do the talking. I don't want you spouting out statistics."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Valentine had only been interning at the Jeffersonian for a week, but it could already be considered unusual that she show up late for work. So when 9:00 rolled around, Angela began wondering if Dennis' worries weren't such overreactions. Finally, though, she walked in looking tired and wearing the same clothes she had been the day before.

"No offence sweetie…but you look horrible."

Valentine groaned, sitting down in Angela's chair. "Is there coffee here?"

Angela handed Teeny her mug. "I only had one sip. Where did you go last night?"

"I went back to Dennis' house. We…talked. It was weird. You know, our whole relationship so far has been light conversation, eating out, and…_not_ talking. But yesterday we had this…immense talk about what we're looking to gain from this relationship, or whatever." She took a sip of the coffee, grimaced, then took another. "As it turns out, he's looking for a lot more than I am."

"Well did you tell him that?" Valentine was silent. "You did tell him that, didn't you?"

"I told him…that I wanted what he wanted."

"Val, why would you lie to him?"

Teeny groaned. "We were heading towards certain break up. I thought if I told him what he wanted to hear, then he wouldn't break up with me."

"And?"

"And he didn't. Except now he thinks I'm all about getting married and having lots of babies. But, who knows? Maybe one day I'll wake up and _want_ to marry him."

"What about Zack?" Angela asked.

"I already told you, Zack is just…Zack's my friend." She stood up. "Anyway, forget all that. Anything new about the case?"

Angela reluctantly went back to the case. "Booth and Brennan went somewhere this morning, but it was a dead end. I just got the call when you walked in."

"So where does that leave us?"

"Right where we were before—stuck in the mud."

**So, how are we liking it so far? I wrote this chapter in a day, it just took me **_**forever**_** to start it. Nothing seemed right, and I had no idea where I was in my stupid plotline. Also, sorry about the lack of actual case, I just happened to write pretty much only Teeny stuff today. Anyway, please review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I didn't like the last chapter, it was too dramatic. Who's up for light comedy with Booth?! Also, I'd like to apologize for how long this took. I'm maddeningly lazy sometimes. **

CHAPTER 6

"Where's Bones?" Booth asked, walking into the Angela's office after wandering around the Jeffersonian for twenty minutes.

"She's checking out a storage unit." Angela said, finishing the shading on her portrait of Valentine. The case was allowing more down time than they were used to. "It was reported for having high levels of radiation."

"Why didn't she call me?" Booth asked, annoyed.

"She did," Valentine said, unable to move under Angela's orders. "Twice."

Booth grabbed his phone from his pocket. "Dammit, when did I turn my phone off?" He flipped his phone open and turned it on in one motion.

"Are you okay?" Angela asked. "You seem frazzled."

"Parker bit his teacher, so _I_ had to get scolded by the hag for half an hour."

Valentine stifled a laugh. "You should have bitten her." She dared to scratch her nose.

"Hand down!"

Valentine sighed. "This is ridiculous, how can anyone sit still for this long?"

Angela made two quick pencil strokes. "You're doing great, besides you damn nose-scratching."

"I'm human! And my nose itches," she wined.

"Just concentrate really hard, and it will go away."

Valentine paused a moment. "It's just making it worse!"

Angela groaned. "You didn't even try! Give it at least ten seconds."

Booth once again made his presence known, shutting his phone after checking his voicemail.

"Can we help you?" Valentine asked.

"Bones found larges traces of radiation in the storage unit, but nothing else. They're gonna dig it up."

"Wait, they think the radiation is _under_ the storage unit?" Angela asked. She ignored her sketch for a moment, overjoyed at the thought of an actual lead.

"Anything's possible," Booth said, grabbing his keys out of his pocket in a preemptive strike. "You two, do…something."

"Right away, sir," Valentine said, grateful to be able to move once again. Once Booth was gone, she turned to Angela. "What do we do?"

Angela shrugged. "We think."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Booth navigated his way to the desired storage unit, only to find himself welcomed by the construction equipment he longed for as a child. "Whoa!" Booth stumbled out his car. "A 900kg excavator. I had one of these toys when I was a kid!"

Bones approached Booth, handing him protective goggles. "Normally I'm impressed by your knowledge of machinery, but given the fact that the name is written on the side of the vehicle, it's not as notable."

Booth ignored her, approaching the workers standing by the Crawler. "So, when you guys get this thing going, is there any way…you know, I could give it a shot?"

He received three blank looks for a few agonizing moment, before one man finally broke the silence. "No."

Booth walked away, rolling his eyes. "Whatever."

Brennan got a nod from the officers closing off the area, and she shouted to the workers. "We're ready whenever you are."

The same man who spoke to Booth nodded, and the machine started with an angry growl. Booth snickered. "This is so cool."

Bones and Booth watched them dig for what seemed like an eternity. She finally turned to him. "What if we don't find anything here?"

"We're gonna find something."

"How can you be certain?"

"Because if we don't find something, then we don't have a case." As if listening to Booth, the excavator stopped. One of the workmen came over to them.

"We hit something metal. We're thinking maybe you want to go in with shovels now."

Booth nodded. "That be great, thanks."

The man stepped aside. "Be my guest."

"Great. C'mon Bones, we're digging." He grabbed a shovel from one of the laughing workmen and groaned. "These are expensive pants. I bought these pants as a gift to myself when I got promoted."

"They're just pants, Booth." Bones followed in suit, not worried about dirtying her squint suit.

"Yes, I know they're just pants. But they're expensive pants." He threw the concrete and dirt over his head, pretending not to notice how close it landed to his new foes.

"I'll buy you new pants," Bones said, scraping away the dirt from the hunk of metal.

"I don't want new pants. I want _these_ pants."

Brennan stopped digging. "It's a desk." She pulled a device out of her pocket and listened for the clicking. "This is radioactive. It must be what killed Jennifer Williams.

Booth furrowed his eyebrows. "If this is the thing that killed our girl, shouldn't we be wearing protective suits or something?"

"It took Jennifer Williams over a year to die from the radiation, we're not in any danger. Oh my god…"

"Oh my god, what? Are you saying we are in danger? If I die, I'm gonna be pissed."

Brennan, ignoring her partner, shouted to the cops standing around her. "We have a skull."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Angela watched over the shoulder of Valentine as she drew what she determined to be the face that belonged to their newly discovered skull. "It looks good," Angela said. "Now we just have to figure out who it is…"

"You don't see?" Valentine asked.

"See what?"

"This looks just like Dennis. It has to be his father, he was missing for years."

"And it was his desk in the ground with him," Angela said in agreement. "We'll get a DNA test to confirm it."

Hodgins entered the room with his hands behind his back. "Brennan has a present for you."

"And we have one for her." Angela held up the drawing. "Robert Hoffman. What's yours?"

From behind his back, he produced yet another skull. "You tell me."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Dennis looked at Booth with disbelief. He had to be wrong, didn't he? Cops make mistakes, and this had to be one. He repeated his question one more time. "So you're saying you found my father?"

"I know this must be hard to believe, especially with the lack of information for 20 years. But the body we found matches your father's in every way. We need your DNA for conformation."

"Yeah, OK. Do I need to go somewhere?

"No, we have what we need with us." Booth nodded to an undergraduate from the Jeffersonian, who produced a small vile for Dennis' blood.

Dennis sat down on an uncomfortable couch that had been in the foyer since before he was born. "First his car, and now him. This is turning out to be an eventful week."

Booth didn't respond right away. He gave a small, compassionate smile, and once the Jr. Squint signaled that she was done, Booth decided it would be best to leave. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said.

Dennis laughed dryly. "You're 20 years late."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Zack put the skull down on the table, satisfied with his inspection. "Robert Hoffman died of blunt force trauma to the occipital bone. He did not die from radiation."

Angela looked at the desk, now secured in a hazmat approved room. "He sat at this desk for years, how come the effects never reached him?"

"Well, they did," Bones said. "He just died first. Besides, Jennifer Williams was not getting the nutrients she required, which was hurting her immune system. She was also much smaller than Robert Hoffman, and therefore much more vulnerable to the effects of the radiation."

Zack cleared his throat. "That's not to say that the desk didn't kill him." Angela and Brennan looked to him for elaboration. "Though I haven't examined the desk thoroughly, I can tell that the damage to his skull matches the corner of the desk in question."

"Good work, Zack."

Valentine, who had been sitting deep in concentration with the second skull, finally spoke. "I think I'm finished, Angela."

Angela looked at the drawing. "That looks good. I'll show you how to run it through the missing persons database." She turned to Zack with the skull. "All yours."

A few moments after Angela and Valentine left the room, Bones spoke. "Zack, I don't think the skull is going to be much use to you. Our victim's hyoid is snapped. She was strangled."

**Seemed like as good a place as any to end the chapter. Leaves you guessing, I suppose. And I **_**promise**_** I won't take so long next time. Pinky swear. **


	7. Chapter 7

**I keep forgetting about Cam. Does anyone even care? If so, I'll give her a bigger part in the next chapter, but if not…I'll probably forget about her next chapter too. **

**Also, I'm using the holograph thingy that Angela uses in more detail for this chapter. I have no idea if I'm doing anywhere near the right thing, but I'll try to make it sound convincing. **

CHAPTER 7

Angela and Teeny sat in front of their computer, watching the faces of all the missing women in the past 20 years fly by them. "How can this be anything but depressing?" Teeny asked after seeing yet another lost girl's face pass by.

"It helps to catch the killer," Angela reassured her.

"We're definitely getting closer," Brennan said entering the room. "Our female victim died of strangulation. The second once, not Jennifer Williams. Angela, once Zack is finishes examining the bones, you can use them for your holographic simulator."

"I'll be here when he's done."

"Also, Booth was able to confirm that our male victim—the second one—was indeed Robert Hoffman."

The computer bleeped, and one face remained on the screen. "We have our second female," Angela said. "Amelia Jenson. She disappeared on the same day as Robert Hoffman."

"We have _four_ victims," Valentine said frantically. "I actually managed to forget about Jennifer Williams and Stephen Mansfield. Tell me this happens often."

"It's actually quite uncommon," Bones said, unaware that it was comfort Valentine sought. "But there is one person that connects all four of them."

"Geoffrey Mansfield," Angela said, remembering what Temperance had told her about the first victims father. He taught with Robert Hoffman and had to had Amelia Jenson in one of his classes."

"Booth and I are going to bring him in. Call me as soon as you find how she might have been strangled."

"No problem, Brennan." Angela turned to her apprentice. "Well Val, you want to take a shot at the magic 8 ball?"

Teeny took a deep breath. "If I must."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Mr. Mansfield, I can't help but think there's something you're not telling us." Booth couldn't help but pace as he talked to the man. They had gotten so far in the case, and they were still absolutely nowhere. "You knew all the victims. You're the _only_ one who knew all the victims." He glanced at Bones. "We know you were involved."

Geoffrey Mansfield remained calm. "Agent Booth, I find it unfortunate you have no leads—truly, I do, I want to find my son's murderer as badly as you do—but throwing accusations at whomever you feel fit can only be hurting your case."

Brennan remained calm as Booth slammed is palm on the table—she was used to her partner's behavior. "Listen Mr. Mansfield, 10 miles from here there's a laboratory full of geniuses who can find a killer from a pinky bone." Temperance decided it would be in her best interest to refrain from correcting Booth on the matter, so she stayed silent. "I suggest you start talking _now_. Judges have compassion for people who turn themselves in."

Geoffrey glanced at the two-way mirror, on the other side of which he knew his wife was standing. He laid his palms gently on the table and stared at them. "OK," he said quietly. "I killed Jennifer Williams." He lifted his head up to look to Booth and Bones. Tears streamed freely down his face. "But I didn't mean to. I never meant to hurt her. She was a nice girl. But I needed the money. My wife is sick. She has medical bills, hospital expenses, medicine—"

"All of which Medicaid covers," Brennan interjected.

"We don't have medical insurance. It was too late to get once we discovered Lindsay's condition." He turned to Booth. "Her brain is not what it used to be."

"Even so," Booth said, "how would killing Jennifer Williams help?"

"I didn't mean to!" he said once more. "I kidnapped her for the ransom. Her parents could have paid it easily. What kind of parent doesn't pay a child's ransom, especially when they're so able?"

"Go on," Brennan said, keeping him on track.

"I gave her food. I never once laid a hand on her. Not maliciously, at least. Then one day I went to bring her food…she was dead. I didn't mean it I swear, please…"

"Mr. Mansfield, what about your son. Stephen Mansfield?"

Bones' voice seemed to bring the distraught man back into the room. "Stephen found out what I had done when he came home from school. He hated me…but he loved his mother. He couldn't go to the police." He looked back at his hands. "He insisted he get rid of the body. When he didn't come home I assumed he had run away…it wasn't until you showed up at my door that I knew what he had done to himself. He once again looked in the faces of Booth and Brennan, but this time with the face of a broken man. "That's all I know. I swear."

"But Mr. Mansfield," Brennan said, unable to forget about the other two victims. "The car in which we found your son and Jennifer Williams belonged to Robert Hoffman."

"I don't know about that," Geoffrey said, once more in his own world. "I never told my Stephen were to dump the body. He must have found the car himself."

"The bodies of Robert Hoffman and Amelia Jenson were found under a storage unit. It was your storage unit, wasn't it?"

"This is all I know," he said quietly. "I don't know anything else…this is all I know."

"C'mon Bones," Booth said softly. "He's done."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Zack carefully carted a tray full of bones through the Jeffersonian, until he found Angela reminding Valentine of how to use the holographic simulator.

He cleared his throat to make his presence known. "I have finished examining Amelia Jenson. The broken hyoid is the only remarkable thing I found."

"Thanks, Zack," Angela said pulling the cart away from him.

"Teeny, may I speak with you?" Valentine nodded tentatively and followed Zack into the main examination room in the Jeffersonian. "I'd like to talk to you about our…encounter the other day."

"Give it a minute, Zack," she said, biting her lip. "There's a murder to solve, remember? Four."

"Right," Zack said dejectedly. "Well I'll be standing…somewhere in this room when you're done. Possibly sitting."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." She walked back to Angela, to find her eyebrows raised, waiting for a response. Teeny brushed her off. "It was nothing. Let's do this thing, shall we?"

"After you," Angela said smirking.

Teeny took a deep breath. "OK. I enter the estimated weight of the subject, height, etc..." She gently extracted the bones she needed from the cart. "I scan the bone in question. Enter the commands needed, and…" she stepped back, waiting to be greeted by the recreation of Amelia Jenson's death. Instead, the machine flickered, once, twice, and shut down. Valentine breathed deeply, trying not to hyperventilate. "_How_ did I manage to break that? I did everything you did!"

"Don't worry sweetie. Hodgins was probably messing with it. I'll call Brennan and tell her it might be a while. I'm sure I can fix it, though—it's probably just a bug."

"I'm _SO_ sorry. Is there _anything_ I can do to help?"

Angela smiled. "Go talk to Zack."

Teeny shoved her hands in her pocket. "Right." She turned away, muttering to herself, "Well, at least I know where he is." She took the long way.

Zack stood up when she entered the room. "Are you here to talk about our incident?"

Valentine laughed at Zack's terminology. "Yeah."

"…And?"

She sighed. "I've been thinking about this for a _long_ time. I've come to the conclusion that our _incident_ was nothing more than _years_ of pent up sexual tension."

Zack's head drooped. "That's it?"

"Zack, I'm sorry. I have a boyfriend, and—"

"So?"

Teeny groaned. "Zack, we're not children anymore. The rules apply to us now, and one of those rules is _no cheating_. Besides, you saw me in diapers. You don't think it'd be a little weird to—"

"It wasn't weird to kiss you. I mean, beyond the usual weirdness of kissing anyone. It was even less weird kissing you."

She didn't know how to respond. "I have to go," she said finally. "Angela's machine is broken, and…"

"We have a killer to catch," Zack finished.

Teeny smiled. "Yeah. See ya."

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Why wouldn't the Williams tell us about the ransom?" Bones asked, thoroughly confused. She and Booth were on their way to see the couple, to question them about the ransom.

"I don't know, maybe they were ashamed that they didn't pay the ransom. Sometimes people get convinced not to, and let the police do their work, and then later wish they had just coughed up the money."

"But that doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't you rather find out who killed your child than keep your dignity in tact?"

"We're all different, Bones," Booth said, pulling into the circular drive. "Maybe these people are just…very different."

"It seems selfish to me," Bones said, stepping out of the black SUV.

"It's not selfish Bones, now shush, I don't want you saying anything like that in there." They went to ring the doorbell of the massive house when the door flew off its hinges, and sent the two flying backwards by the force of a blazing fire. Two more small explosions went off in the back of the house, filling the it with flames.

"Bones!" Booth screamed over the sound of his own ringing ears. "You okay?"

She coughed, wiping the wood splinters off her. "I'm fine. We need to find out if the Williams were in there."

"I know," Booth said helping her up. "We got a couple things we need to find out."

**Am I the only one who thinks that confession felt a bit forced? No pun intended. Oh well, make your guesses! Only two chapters left (I think, maybe more…or less…or exactly). Review!!!!**


	8. Chapter 8

**OK, so I've written notes to myself about this story…I've looked at them about 100 times, and I still don't think I grasp them 100%. No one can know what's going on, can you? I'm lost. Whatever. At the very end, I'm gonna do the whole "this is what happened" thing, just to wrap it up. I'm sure the characters are confused, too. **

CHAPTER 8

"I just don't see why this isn't working," Angela said, examining a mass of computer chips and wires. Teeny tried to pay attention, but the more she said, the more it sounded like gibberish. "The thingy-ma-bob is connected to the what-cha-mac-all-it. The gobbledy-goop is working fine, and I can't see one problem with the Burt Reynolds. Why are you doing this to me?" she screamed at the device.

Valentine spoke slowly, choosing her words very carefully. "Perhaps you should consider…a second opinion?"

Angela turned around slowly to look at her apprentice. "I've had this machine for years."

"I know."

"For years, I have been the _sole_ operator. I even named it. This is Francesca."

"I see."

She stood up, showing the height she had over Teeny. "Do you think I need a second opinion?"

Valentine wavered. "Uh…I'm gonna go see what Hodgins is doing." She practically sprinted out of the room, looking all around the Jeffersonian for Hodgins. Once she finally did, she was out of breath. "Omygod…Angela…has gone insane."

Hodgins laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"Her machine broke…she tried to fix it…" she shook her head, "now she's talking to it."

Hodgins smirked. "I think the Jeffersonian has gotten to your head."

"No, her head!"

He calmly but his hands on her shoulder. "Valentine. People who work here aren't…normal. You should know that. Zack works here. Sometimes, when us literal people get flustered, we talk to inanimate objects."

Teeny groaned. "But that's not _normal_."

Hodgins looked at her red eyes. "How long have you been awake?"

She checked her watch. "35 hours."

He patted her on the shoulder. "Go home. Sleep. I'll fix Angela's brain."

X+X+X+X+X+X

James and Laura Williams arrived at the J Edgar Hoover Building, unscratched but obviously shaken. Booth and Brennan had met them there to question them about the explosion, which the Williams had missed thanks to a late lunch.

"So are you sure you can't think of _anyone_ who would want to hurt you, or benefit in any way from that happening?" Booth asked, nursing a bruised rib.

"Of course not," James said. "If we knew of anyone who wanted to kill us, we assure you Agent Booth, the authorities would be the first to know."

"Technically, you would be the first to know," Bones interjected.

Booth decided to move on. "Would either of you like to explain to me why the authorities were never informed of a ransom note?"

The Williams looked at each other. "We never got any ransom note," Laura said, confused.

"You're positive?" Booth asked. "Because a lot of times people don't tell police about ransom notes because what the kidnappers demand."

"That was a year ago, and it's quite apparent there's no hope in getting my daughter back," James said, his voice breaking at the end. "There was no note."

Booth nodded. "Okay. You two are free to go, I'm sure you have some phone calls to make."

The Williams left together, planning to tend to their now demolished house. Brennan turned to her partner. "You think they're telling the truth." It was less a question than a statement. "Which means Geoffrey Mansfield was lying."

"Which means we have to talk to him again."

Brennan's phone vibrated, and she read a text Angela sent her. "We have to go to the Jeffersonian first. Angela may have found something.

X+X+X+X+X+X

Valentine loved Dennis' bed. Hers was fine, but nothing special. Dennis' bed went above and beyond what could be considered special. Dennis was the last man she would expect to have such a luxurious taste in furniture, but every time she lay in his bed, it never ceased to amaze her. She fell asleep quickly, drowning in the immense fluff, with Dennis on his laptop next to her. Not much later, the doorbell rang, waking her from her sleep. She sat up next to Dennis as he got up to answer the door.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered, kissing her on the forehead. She began to comply, but as Dennis made his way down the creaky staircase, curiosity got the best of her. She silently got out from under the covers and crept to the bedroom door.

When Dennis opened the front door, the woman who stood on the other side was unfamiliar to Teeny, though she knew she had seen the eyes before. She took a few steps back, so as not to be seen "Can I help you?" Dennis asked, as clueless as Teeny.

"Dennis," the woman said, holding his cheeks in her hands. "You look so much like your father. You probably don't remember me. You were so small when your father took you to work. But you loved it. I remember at lunchtime, he would take you to Geoffrey's classroom while we ate. You were such a curious little boy."

Dennis looked down at the small woman, familiarity slowly returning to him. "Mrs. Mansfield?" he asked cautiously. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to tell you," she said patting his head. "It not fair that you don't know the truth about your father."

"Tell me what?" he asked. "What about my father?"

Valentine silently stepped closer to the staircase, still unseen but cautioning not to be heard. She wasn't sure how Dennis would feel about her listening in.

"Geoffrey and Robert had needs. Needs your mother and I weren't always able to satisfy. But Amelia…" Lindsay's eyes flashed with anger, "she was always willing."

"Please," Dennis said, leading her to a chair, "I don't know what you're talking about. Who is Amelia?"

Mrs. Mansfield smiled and patted Dennis' arm. "Don't you worry, I took care of her. Your poor father was an unfortunate casualty."

Dennis shook his head, more confused than ever. "Took care of her? How—"

"But then Stephen—you remember Stephen, don't you? He was a few years younger than you were, but you might have played together. Stephen brought home a new girlfriend." She smiled again, this time with contempt. "I knew Geoffrey wasn't going to be able to stay away from her. You have to know, stopping the problem before it starts is sometimes the only way to do it."

"What are you saying?"

"I never meant for Stephen to get hurt. He really did love me," Lindsay said, a tear falling down her cheek. "He couldn't live with me in prison…"

Valentine listened to her confession with growing interest. She got her phone out of her pocket, ready to call the team at the Jeffersonian, when it began vibrating in her hand. She answered it quickly and quietly, seeing it was from Angela. "Big news," she said in a whisper.

"Bigger news," Angela said quickly. "Hodgins fixed my machine—"

"Because I'm a genius," he said from speakerphone.

Angela elbowed him in the ribs. "And _I_ found that it was a _woman_ who killed Amelia Jenson. Not just any woman, but one fitting the description of Lindsay Mansfield."

"I got a team on their way to the Mansfields' apartment with a warrant for her arrest," Booth said.

"That's all good and well," Teeny whispered, "but Lindsay Mansfield is _here_, bat shit crazy, and blabbing _everything._"

"Where 'here'?" Zack asked. "Dennis' house?"

"Zack, _please_—"

"My son's dead and it's my fault!" Mrs. Mansfield yelled from down the stairs. Teeny heard a gunshot and dropped the phone. She ran to the stairs to see Dennis cautiously circling Lindsay, as she held a gun towards him.

X+X+X+X+X+X

"Teeny?" Zack asked, still on speakerphone. "Teeny, are you there?" The others listened silently, and only heard faint voices coming from the speaker. "I have to go," Zack said, grabbing Hodgins' keys from the pocket of his lab coat.

Booth stood up to stop him, and grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. "Dennis was trained to handle situations like this, Valentine is fine."

"You can't be sure," Zack said, freeing himself from Booth's grasp. He was gone within seconds.

"What do we do now?" Brennan asked, as she stared at the doorway through which Zack left.

Booth sighed. "We follow him."

Booth, Brennan, Hodgins, and Angela arrived in the parking garage just in time to see Zack peel away at dangerous speeds in Hodgins' overtly expensive car.

"If he totals that thing, I'm never giving him a ride again," Jack said as Angela pulled him to her car. They followed the black SUV that took off just before them, dodging the afternoon traffic. The two cars pulled up to the curb in front of Dennis' house, where Zack was parked crudely on the lawn. They got out of their cars at the same time Zack did.

He ran through the open door to see the same standoff between Dennis and Lindsay that Teeny was watching from the top of the stairs. Lindsay turned away from Dennis to see what the commotion was. Dennis took the opportunity to pounce on her, but not before she let off one shot. Angela, Hodgins, Brennan, and Booth arrived inside just soon enough to see Zack collapse on the floor.

**OK, that took **_**way**_** too long. But I made up for it, didn't I? Or did I…muahaha. **

**One more chapter. **


	9. Chapter 9

**LAST CHAPTER! Are you exited? Can you wait? Are you even reading the bold text? Let's find out!**

CHAPTER 9

Angela sat in front of a mirror with a sketchpad and pencil in her hand. She drew a line, then erased it quickly. Self-portraits never looked right. She sighed and crumpled up the paper, throwing it across the room into the garbage can.

"Nice shot," Hodgins said.

Angela jumped. "Jeez Hodgins, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to see you're upset. How's Valentine doing?"

Angela sighed. "Oh, you know…this probably isn't how she expected her internship to go."

"This is nothing. On my first day of work, I accidentally popped a dead guy's boil."

Angela grimaced. "I don't think I want to hear the end of this story."

"It wasn't a boil," Hodgins said excitedly. "It was a nest of just-hatched gasteracantha cancriformis."

"I think I'd be more grossed out if I knew what that was."

"Crab spiders. There had to be at least a thousand hatchlings in there."

"Okay, that did it." Angela shivered at the thought of any number of hatchlings escaping from a dead man's body. "Was that seriously your attempt to cheer me up?"

Hodgins walked across the room and took Angela in his arms. "Did it work?"

"It's the thought that counts," Angela said slyly, kissing her boyfriend.

"I have another thought," Hodgins said holding up strands of gold. "I think it's worth more."

Angela stared at the thing, unable to believe what she was seeing. "Is that Cleopatra's headdress?" she asked, taking it in her hands.

"No, but it's a very convincing replica. _And_ I found a way to turn the cameras off in the Egyptology department."

Angela grinned. "Show me the way, King Tut."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Booth sat on the balcony overlooking the main room of the Jeffersonian. It was empty now, but he could almost see the squints working vigorously, as though the case wasn't closed. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"Rough day?" Bones asked, appearing with two cups of coffee.

"Weird day," he corrected, accepting the drink. "It's always weird when you guys get involved."

"We're always involved," Brennan pointed out. "We investigate crimes using partially to completely decomposed corpses, thereby directly involving ourselves in the case."

"You know, Bones, sometimes I think you say things like that just to annoy me." Brennan shrugged her eyebrows. "You know what I mean. I mean _involved_ in the case, as in not just investigating. As in getting shot by crazy murderers."

"It never hurts to be corrected. If I made an error like that, I'd welcome any criticism from you."

"Whatever," Booth said, setting his cup on the table. "You're never gonna have a normal conversation if you keep correcting people."

"Perhaps not, but it's probable that I'll eventually have a grammatically, factually, and otherwise correct conversation." Bones looked at the cup Booth had set down. "Did I make the coffee too strong?"

"No," Booth said, happy for a subject change. "You made the coffee perfectly."

"I am quite good at making coffee." She sat down in the chair next to Booth and sipped her own expertly made coffee. "How's Parker?"

Booth smiled. "Still my little boy. He's got a while before he grows up."

"I hear he's been biting teachers."

Booth shrugged. "She deserved it." He stood up. "Come on, let's go get a beer."

Brennan walked with him out of the Jeffersonian. "Beer sounds wonderful."

X+X+X+X+X+X

Valentine lay half asleep in an uncomfortable chair. Her eyes lazily followed the LCD screen as the green line rose and fell. The constant beeping, though annoying at first, soon turned into a sort of soothing lullaby.

Zack opened his eyes, but it didn't take him that much to realize where he was. He turned to Valentine, who remained staring at his heart monitor. "Why am I in the hospital?" he asked.

Teeny turned her attention to her old friend. She smiled, happy to see him awake. "You were shot, Zack. Just in the arm, but you passed out."

"It's my body's natural response to danger," he said sheepishly. "Even though confronting a murderer went far beyond anything my subconscious was willing to do…it was worth it."

"Zack, for being a genius, you really are an idiot. You should have listened to Booth; Dennis knew what he was doing. He almost got the gun from her. You scared her."

"I'm sorry I ruined his moment," Zack said, doing little to suppress his contempt.

"Do you seriously think I care about his _moment_? You could have been killed!"

Zack didn't speak as he avoided her eyes. The silence was finally broken by a knock on the large glass patrician between the hospital room and the hallway. Valentine turned around to see Dennis standing with a bag in his hand. He waved once and walked away.

"Where is he going?" Zack asked finally.

Teeny turned back to him. "He asked to be transferred. He doesn't want to stay here anymore; I can't really blame him. He's selling his house."

Zack nodded sadly. "I suppose you'll be going with him then."

Teeny rolled her eyes. "Self-pity does not look good on you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She smirked. "_Someone_ has to keep you honest." It took Zack a moment to understand what she was saying—subtleties in conversation were not his strong point—but once he did, his eyes lit up. "Besides," she said, "this apprenticeship is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I couldn't just let it go."

"Teeny?" Zack said finally.

"Yes Zack?"

"I'd like to kiss you again."

Valentine blushed. "It would be my pleasure."

**Fini**


End file.
